Method of and apparatus for delivering liquid fuel to oil-engines.



c. w. BAKER. METHOD DF AND APPARATUS FOR DEL'IVERING LIQUID FUEL T0 OIL ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. I9I2.

Allg. I0, N15.

2 sHeETssHEn l.

I W W@ l wnwfssfs C. W. BAKER.

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING LIQUID FUEL T0 OIL ENGINES.

APPLICATLON FILED MAR. a0. 1912.

l 499321. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' u TED sTafras Parana onirica.

CHARLES WHITING BAKER, 0F MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING IiIQUID FUEL T0 0IL-ENGINES.

T0 all whom it may concern.'

BAKER, a citizen of the United States,residingat Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Delivering Liquid Fuel to Oil-Engines, of which the followingy is aoil which has been previously deposited inV vits path by a pump, carries it past a series of obstructing surfaces by which the globules of oil'are broken up into small particles and finally discharges it in the cylinder as a fine mist'. It is desirable that the amount of this high-pressure air discharged into the cylinder'lbe closely regulated. If too` much is admitted, the loss of powerin the high-pressure air compressor becomes large. If too little is admitted, the oil isy imperfectly sprayed. Further, if the right amount of air is admitted when the engine is fully loaded and the full amount of oil has to be atomized, too much air will be admitted when the engine is run under small load and,r

the blast of high-pressure air may blow out the flame from the small quantity of oil then used. It is necessary, therefore, te vary the pressure of the air used for spraying as the load on. the engine varies. Again the aim of Diesel engine designers is to approach as nearly as possible to constant pressure during combustion, that is to have combuston proceed, as the piston moves forward, just rapidlyenough to maintain but not exceed the maximum pressure attained at thev end of the compression stroke.r But this end can only be roughly approximated by the ordinary method of admitting the highpressure air for spraying through. an orifice governed by a needle valve. In Diesel engine operation at present, the high-pressure air used for spraying the oil'has tobe compressed 300 to 500 lbs. per square inch above the pressure inthe engine cylinder. ,This

high pressure is required because the air forV spraying picks up a mass of oil previously delivered in its path and many obstructions Specification of Letters Patent.

i. have to -be Be it known that I, CHARLES WHrrING shown in section.

placed in its further path against which the If, however, the oil and air could meet in a simultaneous v stream, fewer obstructions would be'necessary forl atomization, and a lower pressure would suffice for the spray- Patented Aug. 10, 1915. v Application led March 30, 1912. Serial No. 687,310.

mass of oil may be broken up.

ing air. It is necessary in Diesel engine operation that a measured quantity of oil, proportionate to the load on the engine, shall be delivered to the cylinder at each stroke. But the quantity of oil required per stroke is so small, especially at light loads and in small size engines, that the oil-feeding pump and its parts are of extremely small size and require the greatest perfection of workmanship and highly skilled operators for their adjustment and repair.

It is the object of my invention to overcome these various difficulties in the construction and operation of Diesel' engines and further to provide Ameans whereby, as hereafter explained, .any type of engine using liquid fuel, as, for example, ordinary automobile engines, may have their fuel sprayed into the cylinder at the end of the compression stroke instead of impregnating the entering air with it by means of a carbureter as now practised. l l

I attain these objects by substituting for the present method of fuel spraying, a

method whereby a measured quantity of high-pressure air is delivered to the cylinder at each stroke, such quantity being proportioned Ato the quantity of oil delivered, the oil being likewise measured and fed into the stream of entering air, and the quantity of both oil and air being varied according to 'the load on the engine.

The apparatus by which I apply this method of oil and air feeding to liquid fuel engines is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a section of the cylinder head of an oil 'engine having my oil and air feeding device attached, the latter being also Figs. 2 and 3 are end views of the oil and air feeding device. F ig. 4 is across-section of Fig. l through the air inlet pipe 6.

As shown in Fig. l, the apparatus consists in general of two parallel cylinders in one casing, the upper and larger cylinder 1 being the air measuring cylinder andv the smaller oil measuring cylinder 2 lying below it. In the air cylinder l there is a rod 3 carrying a series of connected pistons'- 4 'which closely moving air current.

tit the cylinder, the spaces between these pistons forming closcd chambers. In the oil cylinder :2 there is llkewise a series of connected pistons in the form of a closely fitting rod 5 having chambers which may be in the form of slots through the rod and which chambers correspond in spacing to the chambers between the pistons of the air cylinder and proportioiied to the capacities of the air chambers. These two rods are adapted to reciprocate in their respective cylinders and are moved in unison with each other. A pipe 6 delivers high pressure air to the air cylinder 1; a passage 7 leads from the air cylinder 1 to the o1l cylinder 2; and a passage S, preferably in almelment with passage 7, leads from the oil cylinder 2 tothe combustion space 12.

At the proper period in the engine cycle, the air rod 3 and `oil rod 5 are moved to the left. As the successive air chambers 9, 9', 9 are brought over the passage 7 they discharge their contents of air through this passage and through the slots 10, 10", 10 in the oil rod 5 into the passage S, the air carrying with it the oil held in the slots. Tt will be seen that the oil in each slot 1s fed into the current of high pressure air from the passage 7 as the oil rod 5 moves forward, so that atomization isveifected by the planing off of successive particles of oil from the advancing Inass by the swiftly lt becomes necessary, therefore, to impose very few obstructing surfaces in the passage S to eii'ect the final atomization of the oil necessary for its complete combustion. These obstructing surfaces are not shown in the drawing as they may be of any desired design.

The distance between the inlet port 6 and the outlet port 7 measured along the axis of the air cylinder 1 is somewhat greater than the distance apart of the pistons 4, et which separate the air chambers 9, 9, 9 so that, as the rod 3 moves to the left, the admission of air to a chamber from the port 6 is cut off before the outlet pas-- sage 7 is opened. The oil inlet 13 is similarly spaced with reference to the exit passage 8.

The air and oil rods having made their delivery stroke to the left and the air having blown out of the chambers 9, 9, 9" carrying with it into the cylinder the oil lying in the slots 10, 10', 10, the air and oil rods 3 and 5 make a return stroke to their original position, and as they do so the air chambers are successively reiilled as they i pass under the air inlet 6. The oil slots,

however, are filled with air, at a pressure corresponding to that in the cylinder combustion space 12. Tn order to drive out this air and completely fill vthe oil slots with oil, two oil pipes are used, the first 13 delivering the oil under pressure and the second 14`returning the oil to a reservoir. These pipes are connected to passages communicating with opposite sides of the oil cylinder 2. The oil rod .3 opens communication between these pressure and return oil pipes as successive slots 10 in the rod pass between the passages 13 and 11 during the return stroke. Thus both air chambers and oil slots seing filled on the return stroke, the apparatus is ready for the delivery stroke.

It will be apparent that atv the end of the delivery stroke of the pistons 1, the air left in the chambers 9, 9', 9 will be still under a pressure corresponding approximately to that inthe engine cylinder during combustion. During the return stroke, of the pistons l. however, the pressure in the engine cylinder is being lowered by expansion, and. if the passage 7 were left open there would be further delivery of air from the chambers 9, 9', 9 during the return stroke carrying with it possibly some oil particles lodged on the obstructing surfaces in the passage 8. It is desirable to avoid this loss of air and fuel by closing the passage 7 before the return stroke is made. I provide means to effect this as follows: The air cylinder 1 is lined with a bushing 15 which is slightly shorter than the cylinder and is made an easy fit in the cylinder, so that the bushing 95 15 moves in the cylinder 1 with much less friction than the rod 3, carrying several pistons 1, moves in the bushing 15. Thus, as lthe air rod 3 starts to move in either direction it first moves the bushing 15 with it until 100 the latter strikes the end of the cylinder 1. ln the bushing 15 there is a port 7 which, when the bushing is moved to the left, registers with the passage 7 from the air cylinder to the oil cylinder. lVhen the return 105 stroke of air rod 3 is to be made, however, the bushing first moves to the right and closes the passage 7. A pin 17 engaging with a slot 1G in the bushing prevents the bushing from rotating.

Each end of the air cylinder 1 is in communication with the high-pressure air supply pipe G through the passages 18, 19. As the area of the piston 4 under pressure at the left end is greater than that of the pis- 115 ,ton 4 under pressure at the right end by the diameter of the rod 3 passing through the stuiing box 20, the return stroke of the4 rod 3 is made automatically.

Tc vary the delivery of oil to the com- 12o bastion space 12 in proportion to the load on the engine, it is only necessary to vary the length of stroke of the air and oil rods 3 and 5. There are a variety of mechanisms by which this oil and air feeding apparatus 125 may be driven from the engine so as to 4give the desired quick delivery stroke, slow return stroke and variable length of stroke.

l illustrate such a mechanism in Fig.. 1, 'where 21 is a lever the lower end of which 180 is moved by a cam 22 on a shaft 23 driven by the engine, and the upper end is joined by a connecting rod 24 to a block 25 operating the air and oil rods. The cam 22 has a sharp rise at one part to eifect the quick working stroke and the remainder of the cani has an easy descent to permit the slow return stroke." The variable stroke of the rods 3 and 5 is obtained by giving the lever i 2l a movable fulcrum. The lrock shaft, 26, carries an arm 27 on which is a pin 28 forming the fulcrum of the lever 21. This lever 2l having the lower end guided to permit only horizontal motion, the movement of the fulcrum pin i 28 in the slot 29 varies the relative length of the levers arms and the throw of the oil and air rods 3 and 5 to which the upper end of the lever is attached may be varied by rotating the rock shaft 26, and the position of 'this may Ibe controlled by the engine governor. The graduation of the engine for varied loads may be also aided by making the chambers 9, 9', 9 of varying capacity, so that at lightest loads only a part of the contents of the smallest chamber 9 and of its corresponding oil slot 10 will be'discharged. By proper location ofthe rock shaft 26 and of the slot 29, the working stroke of the oil -and air rods 3, 5 may always begin with the rods at the extreme right hand position, whether the stroke is to be a full stroke or a partial stroke. By thus varying the capacity of the air and oil chambers, and by proper proportioning of the driving cam 22 it becomes possible to deliver the oil charged spray into the combustion space 12 in just Vfthe time required to produce the best results. Y

While I have referred above' chiefly to the use of this apparatus with engines operated on the Diesel principle, I intend it to be applied also to engines using gasolene orkerosene and operated by other methods of ignition than the high temperature ofthe compressed air. It has been diiiiculthitherto to adopt compressed air fuel spraying on snlall sizev engines as the parts became too small andy delicate, audit w-as difficult or -impossible to graduate the minute quantities of air and yof oilr required for such small engines.

My improved method and apparatus above described', by reducing the amount and the pressure of the air requiredfor effective atomization, by providing means for simply and accurately measuring the oil and air and graduating them in proportion to the load ony the engine, and by the Yuse of apparatus for dealing with these small quantities of oil and air which is not too microscopic and delicate to' be operated and re-y paired by ordinary mechanics, makes possible the use of the compressed air spraying system on all classes of engines using liquid .fueL

yany suitable form of casing adapted to receive a movable piston divided into chambers-or compartments.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The method of operating liquid fuel engines consisting is measuring in separate closed chambers the quantity of liquid fuel required for one working stroke of the engine at full load and the quantity of compressed air required for atomizing it, and drawing from said chambers such a part of their contents as the load on the engine requires.

2. An engine cylinder having a fuel inlet passage, means for supplying liquid'fuel thereto comprising la chamber for liquid fuelopening into said passage, a chamber for compressed air ofa volume proportioned to the amount of oil in the oil chamber, a duct leading from the air chamber to the oil chamber and means for permitting the escape of the compressed air to the oil chamber at each cycle of the engine.

3. A device for delivering fuel to liquid fuel engines comprising a casing inclosinga fuel chamber with a delivery outlet therefrom, said casing having a series of connected pistons therein, which vform with the casing a series of closed chambers, means for delivering compressed air to these chambers, a duct leading from the air cabing to the fuel Acasingyand means for moving said pistons toppen said chambers successively to the oil casing.

4. A device for delivering fuel to liquid fuel engines comprising a casing divided into two closed chambers one of which con tains compressed air and the other a liquid fuel, a duct in the partition between said chambers, and means for opening said duct to deliver a measuredk quantityl of compressed air to the oil casing at each cycle of the engine.

5. A device for delivering fuel to liquid Vfuel engines comprising a fuel-containing casing having a series of pistons therein and a delivery outlet, means for supplying fuel to the chambers between said pistons, a second casing having a series of pistons` bers to the oil chambers.

k6. An apparatus for spraying liquid fuelV vinto an engine cylinder comprising a casing having a series of pistons and an y outletV port, means for supplying compressed air to the chambers between said pistons, a'

iis

second casing into which said port opens having a series of pistons therein, means for supplying fuel to the chambers between said last named pistons, said second casing having a delivery passage to the engine cylinder, and means for moving said pistons to simultaneously open the said ports.

7 An apparatus for spraying'liquid fuel into an engine cylinder comprising a series of measuring chambers for the fuel required per stroke, a series of measuring chambers foncompressed air for spraying the fuel, and means for delivering the contents of these chambers in sequence to the combustion space of the engine cylinder.

8. An apparatus for spraying liquid fuel into an engine cylinder comprising a casing having a series of connecting pistons, means for admitting air to the chambers between said pistons, a second casing having a series of connected pistons, means for admitting fuel to the chambers between said last named pistons, means for admitting compressed air to the fuel chambers, and means for giving said pistons a variable movement in unison. l

k9. An apparatus for spraying liquid fuel into an engine cylinder comprising a vcasing having a serles of connected pistons and an outlet port, means for admitting air to the chambers between said pistons, a second casing having a series of connected pistons, means for admitting fuel to the chambers between said last named pistons, said port connecting saidcasings, and means for moving said pistons in unison to bring corresponding air and Oil chambers into communication with each other, and an outlet port from said second casing to deliver the mixed air and fuel into the engine cylinder.

10. An apparatus for delivering fuel to liquid fuel engines comprising a casing having a series of pistons therein, means for supplying oil to the chambers between said pistons, bring them successively into communication with a delivery passage, and means for supplying a measured quantity of compressed air to each of said chambers as it is moved into communication with lsald passage.

11. An apparatus for spraying liquid fuel into an engine cylinder comprisinga casing having a series of pistons and an outlet port, means for supplying fuel t0 the chambers between said pistons, a source of compressed air connected to said casing, means for movmeans for moving said pistons t0 y ing said pistons to bring said chambers suecessively into communication with said outlet port, and means for delivering a measured quantity of compressed air to each of said chambers when it is in communication with said outlet port.

12. An apparatus for spraying liquid fuel into an engine cylinder comprising a casing having a series of pistons and an outlet port, means for supplying compressed air to the chambers between said pistons, a fuelcontaining casing deliver-ing into the engine cylinder and into which said port opens, and means for moving said pistons to bring the chambers between them successively into communication with the oil casing.

13. An apparatus for spraying liquid fuel into an engine cylinder comprising a casing having a series of pistons and an outlet port, means for supplying compressed air to the chambers between'said pistons, means for moving said pistons-to discharge said chambers successively through said port, and means for supplying a measured quantity of fuel to be sprayed upon each opening of said port.

14. An apparatus for spraying liquid fuel into an engine cylinder comprising a; casing v having av series of connected pistons and inlet and outlet ports, the distance vbetween said inlet and outlet ports measured along the axis of the casing being greater thanthe distance apart of the said pistons, 'means for supplying compressed air to the chambers between said pistons, a casing containing oil with which said outlet port comv municates and a passage from'the oil casing to the cylinder.

15. In an apparatus for spraying liquid fuel into an engine cylinder. by compressed air,-the combination with an air measuring cylinder having inletand outlet ports in the wall thereof and pistons therein forminganl air measuring chamber or` chambers, of a slidable bushing lining said cylinderv and having a port adapted to register with the outlet port of said air,measur1ng cylinder when the bushing is at one end of said cylinder.

BAKER.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my 'name in the presence of two 

